Cutting punches for destroying hypodermic syringes

ABSTRACT

A cutting punch for destroying effectively the components of hypodermic syringes, after their use, in order to prevent the salvaging thereof from waste receptacles for eventual use as essential paraphernalia in the illicit drug field. An annularly shaped female cutter member is fitted with diametrally opposed slots for supporting the cannular needle and the syringe elements extending therefrom in horizontal position, and a cylindrical cutting punch is brought downwardly into engagement with the cutter member to sever the needle and another part of the syringe, to destroy the assembly rapidly in a manner rendering impossible its repeated use.

United States Patent Robinson CUTTING PUNCHES FOR DESTROYING HYPODERMICSYRINGES Murry M. Robinson, 1712 I St., N.W., Washington, DC. 20006Filed: May 9, 1972 Appl. No.: 251,695

Inventor:

US. Cl 83/167, 83/580, 83/633, 83/648, 83/925 R Int. Cl B23d 15/04 Fieldof Search 83/167, 580, 588, 83/590, 633, 648, 925 R, 622

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,585,835 6/1971 Clement 83/925 RPrimary Examiner.l. M. Meister Attorney-Samuel Lebowitz [57] ABSTRACT Acutting punch for destroying effectively the components of hypodermicsyringes, after their use, in order to prevent the salvaging thereoffrom waste receptacles for eventual use as essential paraphernalia inthe illicit drug field. An annularly shaped female cutter member isfitted with diametrally opposed slots for supporting the cannular needleand the syringe elements extending therefrom in horizontal position, anda cylindrical cutting punch is brought downwardly into engagement withthe cutter member to sever the needle and another part of the syringe,to destroy the assembly rapidly in a manner rendering impossible itsrepeated use.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 CUTTING PUNCHES FOR DESTROYING HYPODERMICSYRINGES This invention relates to an apparatus for rapidly andeffectively destroying single use hypodermic syringes after theirintended use, in order to prevent the improper re-use of them or thediversion of these devices into illegal channels.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a rugged andreliable instrument of low cost, which is capable of destroyinghypodermic syringes of any type and capacity so that unauthorized re-useof the syringes is reliably prevented.

The problem of illegal salvaging of hypodermic syringes used inhospitals, clinics and doctors offices for diversion to improper uses ofsuch syringes, for example, as essential paraphernalia in the illicitdrug field, or repeated use of the syringes in non-sterile condition, isa prevalent one. Patents have been granted for syringe destroyingdevices to cope with the problem, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos.3,404,593, Oct. 8, 1968, 3,469,750, Sept. 30, 1969, and 3,585,835, June22, l971, but these have failed to meet commercial acceptance. Thepresent invention seeks to improve upon the expedients disclosed inthese patents by providing a simple instrument which occupies a minimumamount of space and which may be placed upon a desk, table or othersupporting surface and which, by a simple manipulation, similar to thatexecuted by an office seal press, is capable of destroying the spentsyringe in multiple parts so that the re-use of any of such parts isrendered impossible.

The invention contemplates the provision of a compact and economicaltool assembly resembling a corporation or notarial seal, which is ofsufficient weight to rest with stability on a supporting surface, andwhich stability may be enhanced with suction cups, magnetic discs, orfrictional retainers, if desired. The forepart of the base is fittedwith an annularly shaped cutter member fitted with grooves adjacent toits upper surface for supporting, in a horizontal position, the cannularneedle of the hypodermic syringe and another part of the syringe spacedfrom the needle, preferably along the longitudinal axis of the tool. Acylindrical plunger, which is normally biased in a position spaced fromthe annular cutter member, is provided with cutting edges at the lowerend thereof, and is reciprocably mounted in the tool in overlyingrelation to the annular cutter member.

An arm or handle, provided with an eccentric portion, is pivotalllymounted on the upper part of the tool. A simple rotary movement of thearm moves the eccentric part against the upper end of the plunger, toforce the cutting edges into the interior of the annular cutter, whichsevers the cannular needle and a larger portion of the hypodermicsyringe which is adapted to be positioned within the grooves at the topof the cutter member. The larger portion of the syringe may be eitherthe hub of the needle, which is mounted on the outlet end of the barrel,or may be the barrel itself, depending upon the specific structure andsize of the hypodermic syringe.

A removable receptacle, which may be a sliding drawer or similar device;is provided at the bottom of the base of the tool, and confining lateralwalls on the latter provide assurance that the small severed portions ofthe syringe are received within the receptacle, leaving only the severedbarrel portion to be discarded immediately. The waste receptacle may beemptied periodically as the severed needles and hubs accumulate therein.

Other objects and purposes will appear from the detailed description ofthe invention following hereinafter, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, wherein FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view ofthe tool in accordance with the invention along the median planethereof, with a spent hypodermic syringe in position to be severed atmultiple points, taken along line 1-1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a left end view of FIG. 1 with the hypodermic syringe removedfor the sake of clarity;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the drawer receptacle mounted in thebase of the tool; and

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view along line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

In the drawing is shown a tool standard 1 of rugged construction,resembling seal presses such as corporate or notarial seals which areused for embossing impressions in paper. Such a press may be of the typeshown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,605,869, Nov. 2, 1926. The tool is generallyfabricated of metal, such as cast iron, and its weight imparts a highdegree of stability for support on a desk, table or other supportingsurface.

The tool comprises a standard 1, a base 2 extending forwardly therefromand an overhang portion 3 above the base. The upper surface of theforepart of the base is fitted with a die retainer 4 in which is seatedan annularly-shaped female cutter member 6 provided with a groove 7 atthe front of the latter and a groove 8 at the rear thereof. Thesegrooves are preferably of substantially semi-cylindrical outline andserve to support the hypodermic syringe S in substantially horizontalposition, so that the cannular needle N is supported in groove 8 andextends rearwardly therebeyond while the enlarged portion of the syringewhich may be either the hub H or the barrel B are supported by the widergroove 7. The latter is disposed in a truncated portion of the cuttermember 6, which permits the small thickness of latter between the innerdiameter of the member and front vertical face to fit between the largeend of the hub H and the inner end of the barrel B. The device iscapable of destroying hypodermic syringes of all capacities and in orderto accommodate barrels of large diameter, the tool support 4 :and thefront of the base may be recessed to provide a large groove 10 forwardlyof the flattened face 9 of the female cutter member 6.

The forepart of the overhang portion 3 is bored with a cylindricalpassage 12 to accommodate a cylindrical plunger 13 having cutting edges15 and 17 at the lower end thereof which cooperate with the internalupper edge of the female die element 6 and which are adapted to severthe parts of the hypodermic syringe which rest in grooves 7 and 8 whenthe cylinder 13 is moved into the interior of the female cutter member6. The cutting edges 15 and 17 may be ground separately, or these mayconstitute parts of a continuous circular cutting edge. The cutting edge17 may project further since it encounters the needle first for thecutting operation.

The cylindrical plunger 13, with its cutting edges 15 and 17, isnormally biased in an upward direction into spaced relation with respectto the annularly shaped cutter member and support for the hypodermicsyringe.

This bias is effected by means of spiral spring 24 having the lowerportion thereof seated within a cylindrical recess 23 in the overhangportion 3 and with the upper portion pressing upwardly against plate 25extending rearwardly from the plunger 13. An actuating arm 20 ispivotally mounted within the tool on pin 21 and is provided adjacent thepivot point with an eccentric portion 22 so that when the arm or handle20 is rotated in a clockwise direction, the eccentric portion 22 pressesthe plunger 13 downwardly with great mechanical advantage against thebiasing force of spring 24, to effect the cutting operation between thecooperating cutting edges and 17 with the cutter member 6 adjacent tothe supporting grooves 7 and 8.

The base is provided with channels 35 for the purpose of guiding adrawer 30 into nested position below the base. An upstanding wall 33 atthe front and wall 32 at the sides and rear 32 extend from the bottom ofthe drawer 31, which serves to receive the severed portions of thecannular needles N which drop through the opening 35 into the base aswell as the larger portions of the syringes, for example, the hubs Hwhich drop into the drawer 30 through the opening in the bottom of theannularly shaped cutter member 6. The drawer may be emptiedperiodically. Lateral walls 36,36 extend downwardly from the sides ofthe tool to enclose the latter, so that the severed parts are confinedto the interior of the tool and drop into the drawer without scatteringbeyond the walls thereof.

The tool is sufficiently heavy so that the base rests on the supportingsurface with stability. This stability may be increased by providingsuction cups 38 lateral brackets 39 affixed to the lower end of thebase. Two of these brackets on each side are sufficient. Alternatively,magnetized elements may be provided for magnetic attraction to a sheetmetal support ofiron or steel.

It is understood that the cylindrical cutting punch may be formed of anydesired metal and may be provided with hardened tool steel adjacent toonly the lower end thereof. Any desirable cutting tool alloy may be usedfor the fabrication of the annularly-shaped cut ting member 6. Theinternal diameter of the latter may be approximately three-fourth inchesand an external diameter of about one to one and one-half inchesprovides adequate radial support for the cannular needle and the largerpart of the syringe as it is severed into three parts.

If desired, interchangeable cutter members may be mounted in the dieretainer. These may have the same internal diameter for cooperation withthe cutting punch at the lower end of the reciprocating plunger.

1 claim:

1. An apparatus for destroying spent single-use hypodermic syringes forliquid medicaments each comprising a cannular needle having a point atone end and an enlarged section at the opposite end communicating withthe barrel for the medicament, comprising a. a base,

b. an annularly shaped cutter member mounted on said base provided withaligned grooves of different depth along a medial line of said cuttermember adapted to support the syringe thereon along a line coincidentwith the axis of said grooves, with the needle adapted to rest in theshallower groove and the enlarged section in the deeper groove,

c. a cylindrical cutting punch provided with cutting edges at the lowerend thereof for interengagement with the inner diameter of said cuttermember, and d. means for moving said cutting punch into said cuttermember with great force to sever said needle resting in saidfirst-mentioned groove and said enlarged section resting in said deepergroove.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said last-mentionedmeans comprises a pivoted handle having an eccentric portion overlyingthe top of said cylindrical cutting punch for moving the bottom edgethereof into said cutter member.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2, including a detachablereceptacle in said base below said cutter member for receiving the partsof said syringe severed from the medicament barrels.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, including lateral wallsextending upwardly from said base to confine the scattering movement ofthe several severed parts to any place other than said receptacle.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the enlarged section ofthe cannular needle is coincident with the hub of the syringe whichrests within the deeper groove and which is severed by the forward edgesof the cutter member and cutting punch.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5, including an additional groovein said base forwardly of said annular cutter and deeper than bothgrooves in the latter for supporting the barrel of the syringe in thecourse of the cutting operation.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the deeper groove insaid cutter member is of sufficient depth to accommodate the barrel ofhypodermic syringes of small capacity for severance by the cuttingpunch.

8. An apparatus for destroying spent single-use hypodermic syringes eachcomprising a cannular needle having a point at one end and a hub at theopposite end connected to the barrel for the medicament, comprismg a. atool standard having a horizontal base extending forwardly therefrom andan overhang portion spaced from and overlying said base,

b. an annularly-shaped female die element seated on said base at theforward portion thereof, provided with a cutting edge at the top of theinterior thereof, of an internal diameter to support the hypodermicsyringe for severance at the needle and hub portions thereof,

c. a vertically reciprocable plunger in said overhang portion of saidstandard terminating in cutting edge portions at the lower end thereofspaced at least at diametrally opposed parts of said lower end,

d. spring means connected with said plunger to bias said lower end ofsaid plunger into spaced relation with respect to said cutting edge ofthe female die element,

e. manual means pivotally mounted on said overhang portion of saidstandard above the upper end of said plunger and including eccentricmeans cooperating with the latter to depress said plunger, with greatmechanical advantage, into cooperative cutting engagement with saidfemale die element, whereby the cutting edge at the inner diametral partof said plunger is adapted to sever the cannular needle while thecutting edge at the outer diametral part of said plunger is adapted tosever a thicker portion of the hypodermic syringe which is adapted to bedisposed horizontally on said female die element for destruction, withthe barrel of the f. a slidable drawer in said horizontal base belowsaid syringe extending forwardly and the cannular neefemale die elementfor collecting the severed needle extending rearwardly beyond saidfemale die dle and hub portions for ultimate disposal. element, and

1. An apparatus for destroying spent single-use hypodermic syringes forliquid medicaments each comprising a cannular needle having a point atone end and an enlarged section at the opposite end communicating withthe barrel for the medicament, comprising a. a base, b. an annularlyshaped cutter member mounted on said base provided with aligned groovesof different depth along a medial line of said cutter member adapted tosupport the syringe thereon along a line coincident with the axis ofsaid grooves, with the needle adapted to rest in the shallower grooveand the enlarged section in the deeper groove, c. a cylindrical cuttingpunch provided with cutting edges at the lower end thereof forinterengagement with the inner diameter of said cutter member, and d.means for moving said cutting punch into said cutter member with greatforce to sever said needle resting in said firstmentioned groove andsaid enlarged section resting in said deeper groove.
 2. An apparatus asset forth in claim 1, wherein said last-mentioned means comprises apivoted handle having an eccentric portion overlying the top of saidcylindrical cutting punch for moving the bottom edge thereof into saidcutter member.
 3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2, including adetachable receptacle in said base below said cutTer member forreceiving the parts of said syringe severed from the medicament barrels.4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, including lateral wallsextending upwardly from said base to confine the scattering movement ofthe several severed parts to any place other than said receptacle.
 5. Anapparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the enlarged section of thecannular needle is coincident with the hub of the syringe which restswithin the deeper groove and which is severed by the forward edges ofthe cutter member and cutting punch.
 6. An apparatus as set forth inclaim 5, including an additional groove in said base forwardly of saidannular cutter and deeper than both grooves in the latter for supportingthe barrel of the syringe in the course of the cutting operation.
 7. Anapparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the deeper groove in saidcutter member is of sufficient depth to accommodate the barrel ofhypodermic syringes of small capacity for severance by the cuttingpunch.
 8. An apparatus for destroying spent single-use hypodermicsyringes each comprising a cannular needle having a point at one end anda hub at the opposite end connected to the barrel for the medicament,comprising a. a tool standard having a horizontal base extendingforwardly therefrom and an overhang portion spaced from and overlyingsaid base, b. an annularly-shaped female die element seated on said baseat the forward portion thereof, provided with a cutting edge at the topof the interior thereof, of an internal diameter to support thehypodermic syringe for severance at the needle and hub portions thereof,c. a vertically reciprocable plunger in said overhang portion of saidstandard terminating in cutting edge portions at the lower end thereofspaced at least at diametrally opposed parts of said lower end, d.spring means connected with said plunger to bias said lower end of saidplunger into spaced relation with respect to said cutting edge of thefemale die element, e. manual means pivotally mounted on said overhangportion of said standard above the upper end of said plunger andincluding eccentric means cooperating with the latter to depress saidplunger, with great mechanical advantage, into cooperative cuttingengagement with said female die element, whereby the cutting edge at theinner diametral part of said plunger is adapted to sever the cannularneedle while the cutting edge at the outer diametral part of saidplunger is adapted to sever a thicker portion of the hypodermic syringewhich is adapted to be disposed horizontally on said female die elementfor destruction, with the barrel of the syringe extending forwardly andthe cannular needle extending rearwardly beyond said female die element,and f. a slidable drawer in said horizontal base below said female dieelement for collecting the severed needle and hub portions for ultimatedisposal.